Gluten-Free Cast Iron Pan Pizza

No-stretch, no-launch, no-skill GF pizza. Press into a hot cast iron, top, bake.

Time: 20 min | Yield: 1 12 inch pizzas | Difficulty: Easy | Serves: 4 | Published: 2026-04-21

If a stretched GF pie intimidates you, this is the answer. No launching, no peel skills, no fragile handoff.

The dough is wet, you press it into an oiled cast-iron skillet, top it, bake. The pan provides the structure that GF dough can't provide on its own. The cast iron pre-heats with the oven, so when the dough hits, the bottom starts frying immediately.

Crispy bottom, soft chewy top, the closest GF pizza I've made to a real Detroit-style pan pie. This is the GF recipe for people who tried pizza dough once and gave up. Pan does the work.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add all of your dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix. 300 g Gluten Free Flour, 3 g Instant Dry Yeast, 6 g Sugar, 7 g Salt
  2. Then add your wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until no dry bits are remaining. Should only take a couple minutes to bring together. It will look like a literal paste. 320 g water, 14 g Olive Oil
  3. Next, generously oil your cast iron pan on the bottom and all sides
  4. Scrape your dough into the pan
  5. Lightly oil or spray oil on top of the dough. Then use your spatula to evenly spread it out in the pan across the entire bottom surface.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter for at least 8 hours. The dough will double if not more. If it starts sinking after it rises, it's getting past it's peak and try to bake it ASAP.
  7. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and hour before you plan to bake.
  8. Bake (par-bake) the dough for 10 minutes or until light browning on the top.
  9. Remove from pan and let rest upside down on a rack for a least 20 minutes.
  10. Once cooled, this is the point where you wrap and save for later. I typically store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks! Then take out about 30 minutes before you plan to make your pizza.
  11. After the pan and par baked dough has cooled, generously butter your pan. You can also use olive oil or crisco. I hear Crisco is the best but obviously way less "healthy."
  12. I like lacing the edges with either a blend of part skim mozzarella and Provolone because they crisp up better. Press them into the sides if you want a little height on the fried cheese (aka Frico).
  13. Evenly spready your shredded whole milk mozzarella. (You can blend with provolone or part skim mozzarella).
  14. Place dollops of sauce on top of the cheese. Not too much and not too close to the edges.
  15. Sprinkle with Pecorina.
  16. Add whatever toppings you like
  17. Bake again for 10-14 minutes.
  18. Cool in the cast iron pan for 4-5 minutes.
  19. Carefully release the edges from the pizza.
  20. Grate on reggiano (optional but recommended).
  21. Slice it up and enjoy!

Troubleshooting

Bottom was pale and not crispy

Cast iron wasn't hot enough when dough went in. Preheat the OILED EMPTY cast iron in the oven for 10 minutes before adding dough. Hot pan + cold wet dough = instant fried bottom. This is the key move.

Crust stuck to the cast iron

Insufficient oil, OR cast iron wasn't seasoned. 2 tablespoons of olive oil minimum, coat bottom AND sides. New cast iron should be seasoned with light oil + 400°F oven bakes, 2-3 times. After 5+ uses, the pan develops natural non-stick patina.

Dough overflowed the cast iron

Used a 10-inch pan with too much dough. For 10-inch pan, use 75% of recipe (or one of the 2 portions from the main GF dough recipe). 12-inch pan can handle the full amount.

Crust was rubbery instead of chewy-tender

Skipped the final 30-min in-pan rise. Don't skip the final rise. The 30 minutes lets the yeast do final work in the warm pan, gives you a tender chewy texture vs flat rubbery.

Top burned before bottom crisped

Pan was on the upper rack, OR oven too hot. Middle or lower-middle rack. 500°F is right; don't go higher. If cheese is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for last 5 minutes.

Notes

I used Caputo Gluten Free Flour for this recipe. I also use King Arthur Gluten Free Pizza Flour. The recipe is adjusted to the following: -300g flour -5g yeast -6g sugar -7g salt -330g water -14g olive oil

Nutrition (1/4 of the pan (crust + light cheese)): 245 calories, 6g protein, 35g carbs, 9g fat.